The prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in Italian primary schools are higher than believed.

“Both human and animal studies have shown that heavy and binge drinking are the most highly associated with FAS damage,” said Philip A. May of the University of New Mexico. “A common perception is that daily drinking with meals is less damaging to the fetus, and that this drinking pattern is the norm in Western Europe.”

The researchers randomly selected 25 primary schools in two health districts. Parental permission for a screening process was secured for 543 children. A detailed evaluation was carried out on those children who were identified as small for height, weight, head circumference and/or referred by teachers for suspected learning and behavioral problems.

Results indicate that the prevalence of FAS in one province of Italy was 3.7 to 7.4 per 1,000 children, and the prevalence of FASD was 20.3 to 40.5 per 1,000 children. These findings exceed previously published estimates of both FAS and FASD for the western world, according to the study published in the September issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.